•Top Draft Picks: OT Duane Brown will push Ephraim Salaam for a starting job in the club’s never-ending search for a left tackle. RB Steve Slaton has explosive speed and attacking ability as a fast runningback. Slaton will be the third-down back and could replace Ahman Green sooner than most fans think.

•Key Issues: Can quarterback Matt Schaub stay healthy after missing five starts and leaving four others because of injuries? Can Defensive End Mario Williams and the rest of the defensive line build on last season’s success? Can the secondary make up for the absence of cornerback Dunta Robinson, who will miss half the season because of a knee and hamstring injury?

Mario Williams has returned to OTA’s as a 300lb+ beast and is making the national media take notice. Some of the NFL industry sources are already making claims that Williams could become the NFL’s sack leader for 2008. Andre Johnson’s knee surgery may end up being worse than we all originally thought and sideline the #1 receiver for close to a month. Word has it that various national media writers are labeling AJ an injury-risk now. (how quaint)

•Top Draft Picks: C/G Mike Pollak, TE Jacob Tamme. Pollak could replace Scott at right guard and Tamme can team with Dallas Clark in the two-tight-end formation.

•Key Issues: Is there any gas left in WR Marvin Harrison’s tank? He’ll be 36 this year and missed 11 games in ’07 with a knee injury. Can DE Dwight Freeney recover from a Lisfranc injury to his left foot that forced him to miss eight games? Will Marvin Harrison’s alleged recent criminal allegations have any effect on his season and performance? He was already not 100% with last year’s injury and rumors have reported this could very well be coach Tony Dungy’s last year in Indy. With all of this lingering, could this have an overall negative psychological effect on the Colts for 2008?

•Key Issues: Will Porter, who’s been a No. 2 most of the time in Oakland, emerge as their No. 1 receiver? Is Jack Del Rio another Marty Schottenheimer who wins a lot of regular-season games but can’t make it to the Super Bowl? Can David Garrard duplicate last year’s success or was it a one-year fluke? If Garrard struggles, even with a back like Jones-Drew, don’t expect the Jags to compete for a division title this year.

•Top Draft Picks: RB Chris Johnson will be third-down back and a returner, DL Jason Jones and DE William Hayes should be in rotation, TE Craig Stevens could be primary on-the-line guy, WR Lavelle Hawkins might seize slot opportunities.

•Key Issues: Can new offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger get Vince Young on track and get more production out of a passing game that threw nine TDs last year? Can Kearse and two draft picks come close to the production lost with Odom and LaBoy (14 sacks combined)? If Vince Young continues to duplicate last year’s dismal performance, the Titans are going to have a hard time staying out of the third or fourth spot in the division. During the team’s recent mini-camps and OTA’s, Albert Haynesworth has been nowhere to be found. Given that Haynesworth is one of the team’s best players, will his disappearing act effect the Titan’s overall moral as the regular season approaches?

• • •

(UPDATE: Monday May 26) – TSN.com reports that former Texans and Patriots return man Bethel Johnson has joined the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. Johnson won two Super Bowls with New England earlier this decade, but never developed into a useful wide-out. Other notable members of the Argos’ roster: QBs Michael Bishop, Cody Pickett, and Reggie McNeal, WRs David Boston and Patrick Johnson, DBs Willie Middlebrooks and Antonio Perkins..

ProFootball Weekly.com recently did a excerpt on the current situation with WR’s Andre Johnson’s condition, as well as Kubiak’s other wide-outs. ProFootball Weekly writes:

Johnson expected to be ready for training camp after surgery on left knee

“WR Andre Johnson recently had arthroscopic surgery on the left knee that kept him sidelined for seven games last season, but the team expects him to be ready for training camp. Upon returning to the lineup, Johnson caught 46 passes for 589 yards and five TDs in the final seven games of the ’07 campaign”.

“However, the knee was bothering him throughout that stretch. When the condition did not improve in the offseason, the decision was made to have surgery after the team’s May minicamp. “Watching him practice during the minicamp, it was hard to believe that he needed his knee scoped, but that’s the great player that he is,”head coach Gary Kubiak told Houston reporters”.

“We know what we are going to get when he is back, and he’ll be healthy at camp. The great thing is that you are watching (WRs) Kevin Walter, André Davis, Jacoby (Jones), David Anderson — man, they are getting better every day, so that’s important for our team.”

(UPDATE: Tuesday May 27) – ESPN.com is reporting that the Tennessee Titans 2006 Rookie of the Year (Vince Young) told NFL.com in an interview posted on Monday that he considered retirement after his first season. Vince Young told reporters, “”I really thought long and hard about it,” Young told the Web site. “There was so much going on with my family. It was crazy being an NFL quarterback. It wasn’t fun anymore. All of the fun was out of it. All of the excitement was gone. All I was doing was worrying about things”. Last season, the Titans did make it to the playoffs, but Young threw all nine of the team’s touchdown passes for the fewest of any team in the league. Nonetheless, he learned to live with the pressure of being an NFL quarterback.

Have you noticed lately how the national media run a lot of stories or excerpts on the AFC South? We all know we have (or had) the best division in the entire NFL, but a lot of perceptions can change in the course of one season. Editor-in-Chief for JagNation.com’s Charlie Bernstein ran a piece today which was picked up and published in Scout.com.

Bernstein was daring enough to rank his view of his top runningbacks in the AFC South. Let me know if you agree with his analysis or not and keep in mind that his opinions could be bias, since he is with JagNation.com. Hmmmmmmm…..

Bernstein and Scout.com states:

“The AFC South features some of the best running backs in the NFL, and our top three are pretty much interchangeable. JagNation.com takes a closer look at who the best ball carriers in the division are”.

“Although Taylor is 32 years old, he has the body of a 25-year old and he shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Taylor is one of the most explosive backs in the NFL, and he can run over or around nearly every defensive back in the league. Taylor put up better than 1200 yards a year ago while splitting carries with Jones-Drew”.

Positives: “Cut-back ability, speed, power, blitz pickup”.

Limitations: “Injuries, short yardage running, hands”.

2. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts

“Indianapolis’ young running back seemingly does everything well, and he is a legitimate game breaker who earned a Pro Bowl spot in just his second season. Addai’s stats may suffer a bit in 2008, as the Colts signed Rhodes to spell him as he did when Addai was a rookie”.

Positives: “Speed, power, hands, blocking”.

Limitations: “Running between the tackles”.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

“The Jaguars “pinball” is one of the most exciting players in the league as he has speed and power, and his north-south running style is a great compliment to Fred Taylor. The 5’7″, 210 lb. powder keg is a touchdown maker who has been in the end zone 29 times in his first two seasons”.

Positives: Power, speed, blitz pickup, short yardage.

Limitations: Size to carry the entire load is a question.

4. Lendale White, Tennessee Titans

“White is the power back that the Titans have been missing ever since the departure of Eddie George. Lendale had a breakout year in 2007 as he gained better than 1100 yards and scored seven touchdowns”.

Positives: Power to run between the tackles, good short yardage back, quick feet, can shed tacklers, solid blocker.

Limitations: Outside burst, hands.

5. Ahman Green, Houston Texans

“Ahman Green has been an explosive runner throughout his career, but injuries have kept him from being mentioned with the league’s elite. Green played in just six games with the Texans last season and gained just 260 yards”.

Positives: Hands, patience, can run inside or outside.

Limitations: Injuries, blocking ability.

6. Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts

“Rhodes re-signed with the Colts after spending a year in Oakland, and will platoon with Joseph Addai in the Indianapolis backfield. Rhodes is an underrated back who is a very good compliment to any star runner”.

Positives: Blitz pickup, good inside runner.

Limitations: Not a home run type of back, can’t be the featured guy.

7. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

“Johnson should make an impact as a rookie with the Titans as he was the fastest running back in the entire 2008 draft. Johnson can be a Brian Westbrook type of back who can be used in space, as he possesses great hands”.

(UPDATE: Wed May 28) – The Houston Chronicle reports that QB Matt Schaub says second-year receiver Jacoby Jones “has made a huge step” with a full offseason. “He’s more mature,” Schaub said. “Last year, his head was spinning.” Jones admits separating his shoulder cost him confidence last season. “He’s confident in what he’s doing and having a great camp,” Schaub added. Jones is a fourth receiver as it stands, but a big summer could vault him past Andre’ Davis. As fast as J.Jones is progressing, don’t be surprised if he makes #2 WR Andre Davis sweat bullets and then take over the #2 wideout position. That’s how good Jacoby Jones has become in just one off-season. There’s no doubt this team is now loaded with an artillery of offense weapons.

• • •

(UPDATE: Thursday May 29) – The Houston Chronicle reports RB Ahman Green has been missing OTA practices due to food poisoning. “He was really sick this morning,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “He came in and we took him to the doctor. But he’s fine.” Green can’t afford any durability issues after a mostly lost 2007 season, especially with more competition.

• • •

(UPDATE: Thursday May 29) – The Houston Chronicle is reporting Texans QB Quinn Gray has reportedly looked “like he needs to lose some weight” at offseason workouts. Maybe Alex Brink will make the club after all. Gray is naturally a big fella, but that makes it all the more important for him to stay in shape. The Texans figure to keep three QBs this season, but Gray is no lock to stick.

53 Responses

I see the Texans overtaking the Titans this year. I remain skeptical they can make any ground on Jacksonville. Indy moving into their new stadium will be to tough to beat and again is a perineal favorite to go to the Super Bowl.

Larry,

Indy will probably still be the favorite in the AFC South, but I see deterioration amongst the team that has been the power-house in our division. It’s a slow process, but I see the Colts slowly wilting away (although, I still love that team). No team lasts forever and it may just be time for the Colts to have to actually fight for the AFC South crown this year. We’ll see…-TH

Yes,they can compete! Can they win the division or make the playoffs? HMMMM? I see steady improvement in a team that is searching for an identity. Nobody is safe from the Turk & that is a good thing. They are not afraid to pull the trigger on non-producers. I know a lot of people are down on Ahman Green,but if he is healthy he is a player. If it wasnt him,they would be down on somebody else.

If this team keeps improving then other players will want to come here. They have a ways to go,especially in maturing. But this team is being built for the long run. I for one am impressed with the way things are going.

Von Hutchins (3rd on the team in total tackles last season)? Charlie Anderson? Shawn Barber? Just to name a few departed…

And for new players…Chaun Thompson, Kevin Bentley, Nick Ferguson…there’s others but probably won’t make the roster…

Just wondering…

CD,

I wanted to do a bio or profile on on the new players etc, but I just didn’t have the room or the time to put all on there. Thanks for bringing them up. The players you listed were some of the ones I wanted to do a whole profile on, but these blogs and my life only allows a certain amount of time to do it all in. I leave it up to readers like yourself to fill in the gaps for me. Thanks, bro! -TH

Jacksonville should be improved if some of their new guys come through, but we’ve always seemed to match up well with them.

I think the Titans, have lost some of their defensive strength, and quite frankly, I don’t see where they’ll improve much offensively, unless Vince really does suddenly show up with a red ‘S’ on his chest.

On paper the Texans should be improved, and if they can avoid the horrible injury bug that bit last year, this might be a very competitive group.

I think they have their best shot ever at coming out on top, but I’ll guess second in the AFC South this year.

Don’t bet money on my projections. I’m just a long time football fan, not any kind of expert.

Mike,

I’m with you. I think the Colts are still the favorites, but I don’t think they are just going to be handed the AFC South title this year without some kind of fight with us or the Jags. -TH

If Kubiak fails to make halftime adjustments and is out coached in the third quarter of most games like last year, the Texans will remain at the bottom of the division. With not much of a change in talent, I believe the only improvement will be from coaching strategy and philosophy. Maybe not.

Jack,

I agree with you, but I also think our players from last year can and will be better. I feel Mario and Okoye will be better. I think Reeves will be an upgrade in the secondary with Dunta out. I don’t think we’ve seen the best from Andre Davis or Owen Daniels yet. Daniels is going into his third season which is usually when a player either solidifies his place in the NFL or falters for whatever reason. Andre Davis I still believe has more to him than what we have seen yet. Now that he’s a permanent part of the offense, I think we are really going to see him progress as a solid #2 wide-out. Kevin Walter showed me some major improvements last year and I think he’ll continue to progress and be reliable. I also think Slaton is going to move way up on the depth chart fast. I know he was hurt a lot at West VA., but this guy is explosive and if Green or Brown shows the slightest signs of breaking down, Slaton is going to surprise a lot of people sooner than most are expecting. I could be wrong, but I am expecting an obvious progression with this team and the returning players and rookies this year. -TH

Jack said: With not much of a change in talent, I believe the only improvement will be from coaching strategy and philosophy.

I disagree with you that the talent hasn’t improved much. I’ve read several different sources–who’ve actually been there amongst the players–who say the talent is obviously deeper. Jerome Solomon claims the Texans’ second string could beat any previous first string line up.

Like TH said, it’s a slow incremental process. And like Lance Z said, there were probably 3 or 4 games last year that were decided by one play–they could have wound up 6-10 or 9-7. But 8-8 is probably just about right, for last year. Even if they wind up 8-8 again, though, it doesn’t mean they’re not improving.

Hey TH, sorry but I noticed on the Texans you said “linebacker Mario Williams,” did you mean DeMeco, or “Defensive End” Mario Williams?? Just wondering cuz that could go either way, though I realize it was just a simple oversight.

Eddie,

Thanks. Simple mistake. I was thinking about Ryans while I was writing about Mario and Okoye. -TH

Compete; sure. Win the South; slim chance, with Slim doubling for Kate Moss. We have to pray that we are injury free,that the running scheme works, that our receivers step up, that our defense gets to the quarterback, that our defensive backs don’t get burned, that we get Dante back, that the stars are aligned, etc….. We’ll be praying all season. Go Texans!

Compete; sure. Win the South; slim chance, with Slim doubling for Kate Moss. We have to pray that we are injury free,that the running scheme works, that our receivers step up, that our defense gets to the quarterback, that our defensive backs don’t get burned, that we get Dante back, that the stars are aligned, etc….. We’ll be praying all season. Go Texans!

eddievee,

I think the Texans have more than a slim chance to compete. I think they are going to give the AFC South a run for their money this year. With players like Jacoby Jones a year more experienced and Okoye and Williams holding down the d-line while Ryans creates havoc as the MLB, things should be a lot more competitive for this Texans team. I even like the fact they made Diles the Strongside LB. He may undersized and a little inexperienced, but he’s going to prove he was meant to play there all along. Good stuff! -TH

I think we are gonna make a name for ourselves and earn some respect this year. We won’t win the division or nothin like that, but we will beat jacksonville at least once in 2oo8. We will beat the titans twice and we will beat all the teams we are supposed to beat unlike last year (Browns,Falcons,Titans). Kubs and Smith are Super Bowl masterminds they know how 2 put a team together that will compete on every sunday and that’s what matters to me….

TH………I think the Texans are a much deeper and faster team on defense this year. The offense has not changed too much and I do not think it really had to if we can just keep the key players from getting injured. Even with all the offensive injuries last year they did a pretty respectable job and I think they will be in the top 10 offenses this year. The wins and loses will depend on the defense. We need someone to step up as an edge rusher to take a little pressue off Mario and Amobye. One we have the ability to make the opposing QB get rid of the ball before he wants to and make some bad plays our DBs will look much improved. A good consistant rush will also keep Ryans from having to drop into coverage as much which will upgrade the run defense. If we are not talking to Miami about Taylor I hope it is because we see a lot of improvement coming from A. Weaver or one of the linebackers we signed or drafted is going to be able to come off the edge with pressure…….Bob

Bob,

Good point. Just because the Texans didn’t add any superstar players, the players we already have are going to come back this year a whole lot better and faster in my opinion. I already feel confident in the depth we now have at the runningback position (if they can all stay healthy). Great post, Bob! . -TH

If Kubiak fails to make halftime adjustments and is out coached in the third quarter of most games like last year, the Texans will remain at the bottom of the division.

Jack – are you retarded? With the healthy players we had available our coaching staff did a great job with what we had available.

With the way that Smith and Kubiak are developing the roster we will be even more competitive than last year – and there were like 3 or 4 games that we could have easily won.

I believe we’ll sweep the Titans, and split with the Jags and Colts. I think we may be in the hunt for the division toward the end of the year but how injuries and development of some of our players turns out could mean the diffrence between a division title this year or next year.

Indy is still the team to beat but I think they didn’t really do alot to an aging roster, Jags – I think now that more teams have game tape of Garrard he will not be as productive. Titans – I think VY is a great player but I am not sold on him as a QB and I don’t think there defense will play up to the level they did last year with those roster changes.

Whatever the case I love the direction management is going – I am looking forward to seeing Okam emerge, the development of JJones, and AOkye, MWilliams – Its going to be a great year

Happy Memorial Day to everyone and THANK YOU to all our servicemen and women for all the sacrifices you make.

Now for the topic at hand:

It’s hard for me to say how competitive the Texans will be within the AFC South. I think they’ll be improved enough to win more than ONE Division game in ’08. Looking at the competition…

* The Titans have always had the Texans’ number, and until they can keep the Titans D out of their backfield, that will continue to be the case. If Vince improves in the passing game (and I expect him to), then Tennessee will be that much more formidable. The Texans can match up well with the Titans though, as long as they take advantage of opportunities to make plays on both sides (read: no major screw-ups with the game on the line). No lapses on 3rd downs giving up big plays, winning the TO battle, and prevailing on ‘Teams’ should make the difference.

* Indy is Indy. As long as Peyton Manning is at the helm, they’ll be tough to take one from. Maybe the Colts fall back a little, what with Harrison’s getting older and with his looming legal issues, but they still have enough weapons to contend for the Title again. The Texans better hope they find a way to make Manning more uncomfortable in the pocket than they have or, as per usual, he’ll put up 30 a game. Hopefully the Texans will finally be equipped to score with the Colts, and stay close enough to pull out a W this year.

* For Jacksonville, everything branches off their running game. They try to control the ball with their RB staff and a QB who seldom makes bad throws. They aren’t very explosive, but they get the lead and then leave it to their D to bend but not break. That’s how they beat PIT in the Playoffs and how they stayed in the game vs. NE. The Texans usually have a decent game plan for JAX, so again it comes down to execution and not giving up big plays.

In my humble opinion, the Texans’ place in the AFC South is going to depend heavily on a few factors:

* Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson – The Texans’ have decent WR depth, but AJ is the key. Dre’s presence alone makes the Texans O probably twice as dangerous to opposing defenses. The condition of his knee is worrisome, because if Dre’s not near 100%, the Texans offense won’t be consistent enough to meet the challenges each week. By the way, that last statement applies to Matt Schaub as well. If the protection gets Matt smashed up again and he can’t stay on the field this season, I think they can forget about being a threat in the South. I know a lot of folks believe Sage Rosenfels is just as capable, but I’m not one of them. Sage is just too inconsistent and makes too many bad throws for my liking. That’s why he’s #2. Schaub and AJ were just scratching the surface before they got banged up last year. These two could be the most productive QB/WR duo in the South IF they stay on the field together.

* Run Defense – All three of the Texans’ Division foes have beaten them, in large part, by running the ball very effectively. Even the Colt’s aerial attack is predicated on Sharpstown Joe gaining rushing yards to set up their lethal play-action strikes. We also know how MJD and F.Taylor like to roll through opposing D’s. Then you have VY, the RB-of-the-week, and the Titans’ OL to contend with. The Texans better be strapped up and ready to hit people in the mouth v. the run, or they won’t be much better at all in Division.

* Secondary – This group will be HUGE in determining how well the Texans play this year. The thing is, I could see it falling either way: They could be a surprise strength of the team or they could cause us all headaches every week. I’m leaning toward the former, because as I mentioned last entry, I think the quality depth is there. Even without D.Rob in the early going, if Smithiak’s additions to the secondary perform up to expectations, the Texans will be able to win any of their AFC South games. Then if Dunta comes back fairly close to where he had been, the DBs could be top-notch in the 2nd half of the season. BUT if this group falters, it could mean 4th place again, regardless how the other parts of the team perform.

These are all just my random off-season thoughts, but I will be watching these areas intently to see how they’ll factor in. My guess is: If the Texans excel in all three areas, they’ll end up fighting for 2nd in the AFC South. Each area that doesn’t work out well will knock them down a notch, IMHO.

I hope this one didn’t put anybody to sleep. Thanks to anyone who read this far. Y’all take care.

-Later-

BR,

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO YOU and all of over troops out there – still serving or retired. Nice post! -TH

I think we will see a double switch this year with Jax jumping over Indy into #1 while the Texans jump over Tenn. for #3. I hate to say it but Jax is getting very good very fast. Tenn. is getting very bad very fast. I think if we are going to win a wild card we will have to beat out Indy and believe it or not, that is concievable for us this year.

“If Kubiak fails to make halftime adjustments and is out coached in the third quarter of most games like last year, the Texans will remain at the bottom of the division”. — Jack

Jack definitely hits on a valid point. The Texans were outplayed in the third quarter a lot last season. However, I don’t believe the Texans’ play after halftime is all a result of Gary Kubiak’s lack of coaching ability. I think there are a lot of factors that played into Houston’s dismal performance in the second half of games last season.

The first factor I point to is that the other team usually had the ball to start the third quarter. The Texans recieved the ball on the opening kickoff in a majority of their games. The reason for this is simple. If they won the coin toss they chose to recieve, and if they lost the coin toss the other team usually deferred. Most teams facing the Texans in the past have been willing to take their chances by giving them the ball in the first half. The Texans on the other hand, feel they need to get the ball and score. The general belief is that if they fall too far behind, then the game is over.

Turnovers are the next big reason why Houston has been beaten routinely in the third quarter. The fact is, they gave up the ball far too often. To make that worse, they rarely took the ball away from the opposing team. When a team is almost dead last in turnover margin, it is very hard for a head coach to look good. On top of that, when the opposing team already has the ball coming out to start the half, then turnover problems are compounded.

Another factor to consider when evaluating third quarter play by our Texans is game-planning. Like most other teams, the Texans script plays. This is the main reason why they look so precise and efficient in their oppening drives, and then at other times look almost dumbfounded. Matt Schaub is very good at scripting, as he runs a tight ship in the huddle. He’s also a very accurate passer, which is a must in the NFL. That’s not to say that Sage Rosenfels isn’t good at running plays off of the script, but there is a reason why Schaub is the starter. Come to think of it, there’s also a reason why the Texans wouldn’t trade Rosenfels to the Vikings.

Lastly, injuries played a huge part in the Texans decline in play after halftime. I’m not saying that to make an excuse for this team, but only to make the point that our reserves are not as good as our starters. You can argue all you want about other teams’ reserves being better than ours, and you might be right. Still, there’s no denying that any given team’s starters are on the 1st-string for a reason. That being said, the Texans faced a rash of injuries last year. Their reserves (3rd-string) were playing against a healthy rotation of the other team’s starters. Our guys simply wore down in the second half. Also, to go back to an earlier point, they can’t script as many plays when they don’t have continuity on the offense. When their linemen are hurt, when their WR’s are hurt, when their RB’s are hurt, and especially when their QB is hurt they can’t script plays as effectively.

I apologize for the long-winded nature of my reply to Jack’s statement, but the Texans’ lack of success in the third quarter is not all on Gary Kubiak’s shoulders.

Did McClain kick you off his blog for name calling and insults. You think (if possible) seven games in a row without scoring a toughdown in the third quarter is not a bit on the coach. But now he is going to take fourth and fifth round picks and turn around the team. You know, to compete with all the talent we played against in Atlanta and Miami and Oakland.

I think if we are going to win a wild card we will have to beat out Indy and believe it or not, that is concievable for us this year.

Posted by: Teufelhunden at May 26, 2008 04:04 PM

Please! I am a loyal texans fan and all but if it came down to the texans vs colts in a wild card game the texans would get everything but their manhood taken away by the colts.

This is my problem with the texans. When will other teams start worring about having to play us and going through us to a championship. Until we reach the level where other teams or at least one team truly fears us, we won’t be nothen more than another sorry team just hanging on in a tough division.

You may want to check out the NEW NFL RULES FOR 2008. This will be the First year teams can defer to the second half on winning the coin toss in the NFL. Before, if you chose defense the first half, there were good odds the other team will choose to take the ball the second half.

Carlos, regardless if the third quarter woes hang on Kubiak or not, there’s no call to jump on Jack for his statement, because to be sure at least half the troubles came from coaching, maybe not Kubiak himself but assistants make mistakes too, their name’s just not usually the one we read about in the paper the next day.

I whole heartedly agree Jack that SOMETHING needs to be changed/done to turn around the third quarter woes from last year (without lettin up in another quarter of course), be it coaching or something else.

I like the directions the Texans are going, and I think we’ll be a lot tougher mentally than in the past. I definitely like how the they’re continuously building through the draft (and doing a much better job than Cape Casserole), and how they’ve managed to maintain the average 7 total picks despite having only 6 at the outset the past 2 drafts. So what if they weren’t all in a row rounds 1,2,3,4,5,6,7; just the fact they’re making sure they get an extra pick someway and tryin to grab folks they think can contribute says a lot to me about their determination to build this team from the ground up and plugging “leaks” (drafting or getting young players fills the holes “permanently” IMO) with low-cost free agents vs. spending bigs bucks on guys like Jerry Porter.

As far as the rest of the division, I’d say it’ll be tough all around, but the Titans seem the most likely to be overtaken, and honestly the Jags need to really get goin’ if they wanna take down the Colts because they didn’t get it done against the Colts last season, even though they came close the 2nd time. The Colts are probably declining somewhat at this stage, but they ain’t that far gone.

I think that there is some validity to the last 4 or 5 blogs above me. There were too many games where the Texans came out with the ball, in the third quarter, and proceeded to go 3-and-out. We need a scoring and attitude adjustment for the team, provided by the head coach. We need our offense to give our defense some breathing room. And we also need Kubiak to keep a short lease on Schaub, if he’s not getting it done. Don’t keep him out there to prove a point. We all know why they won’t let Sage go!!!

The point is very simple. If we won the coin toss we chose to recieve. If the other team won the coin toss they chose to kickoff, and to recieve in the second half. Is that too complicated? Don’t be so defensive. I actually said you had a point. However, there are many reasons why the Texans were outscored in the second half of games last year. All the blame does not lie with Kubiak getting outcoached. As he gets more tools, he’ll have more success.

Not being defensive, but you misunderstand NFL rules of last 80 years. 2008 will be the first year that NFL teams can DEFER to the second half. Before, if you choose to kick off ( or which end of the field to defend ) that was your choice. This year teams will have the option, for the first time, to Defer to the second half… Please look it up…Your points were all valid except for that. http://www.uwritesports.com/test_text.php?date=2008-04-03&author=Jeffrey+Gearhart&article_id=1280

I have to say Carson that though the “general belief” on the Texans falling “too far behind” was likely still around last season, I never felt that way except for Colts game 2, because we came back to win against the BlackCats (Panthers), and came down to the wire/within reach with both Indy (1st time), and TN.

The old Texans teams would’ve completely folded under those circumstances, and while we did “relapse” so to speak in that regard a coupla times the Texans did a much better job not letting that get them down and out for good. I think this season they turn the corner on that and get a genuinely gritty attitude and do away with the old despondence and “here goes again” attitude that was prevalent the past several seasons.

I agree with the rest of what you have to say, but I think last season saw the Texans finally coming around and sayin’ “hey we still have a chance to win even when we fall behind.” No team plans to fall behind, but when they do it’s their overall attitude that determines if they’ll fight to win it or not.

I must take issue with the assessment that the coaching staff is responsible for our lack of scoring in the 3rd qtr. If you go back and look at the play-by-play of each game we lost, you’ll see it was TURNOVERS that was always responsible for our 3rd qtr failures.Loss 1 – Indy: 1st Poss. Held Colts to FG on the 1st drive of 3rd Qtr. Matt Schaub throws INT on our first pass of our first possession of the qtr. Colts turn that T/O into 7 pts. How is that the coaches fault?? 2nd possession — Gado fumbles following a holding call on our second possession. We punt. However, we make the Colts punt (J.J. injures shoulder on the return). Schaub tosses ANOTHER 1 & 10 INT. Defense holds Colts to FG even though Dunta was burned for 64 yds by Reggie Wayne to our 7 yd line. We had the ball three times and all we had to show for it were two 1&10 Matt Schaub INTs and a 3&out that went no where thanks to a holding call and a Gado fumble. How is that the coach’s fault??That was typical of our third qtr “luck” during each of our losses.Jacksonville – they just beat us down the whole game. They were better than we were. Period.Tennessee – Five, count ‘em, FIVE turnovers. I think Rosenfels first two tosses were picked off.San Diego – Five more turnovers. The good news is they didn’t score in the 2nd half. The bad news is they didn’t really have to.Cleveland – Three T/Os. The big one was a fumble – on the CLV 22 – by Owen Daniel as we were driving for a tying score in the third qtr. Even with that, the D makes CLV punt. After swapping FGs, Schaub tosses 2nd INT when we’re only 10 pts down. CLV scores TD after we gave them the ball on our 30.I could go on… point is, we averaged well over TWO turnovers/game. Given the injuries and the fact we gave the other team 2+ free possessions every game, its a wonder we won 8.

I read your link, and I think the new rule will have little effect on games. In my interpretation it means that if you win the coin toss you can choose what end of the field you want to defend at the beginning of the game, or wait until the start of the second half. I suppose this could make a difference on a very windy day. However, in regards to the Texans’ past third quarter performances I don’t see how the new rule matters. In the past if a team kicked off to start the game, then they would recieve to start the second half, and vice versa. I was only stating that in most of their games the Texans kicked off to begin the third quarter. This of course means the opposing team will have, on average, an extra possession during that quarter. The better teams, the ones with the most confidence in their defenses, usually kickoff to start the game if they win the coin toss. I hope this season will be like that for us. With a healthy team Kubiak should find more success. It is only his third season as head coach, so there are still things he has to improve upon, too.

I was actually more angry than anything about the SD game because we literally threw it away (4 picks), I don’t really remember for sure about thinkin maybe a comeback or not, I just remember I wasn’t happy. I think I might’ve thought we still had a shot going into the 2nd half probably (because lookin back at it the 1st half was the only time the Bolts scored), but those next 2 INTS took the wind outa my sales. So to answer your question, I felt like we still had a chance til perhaps the 3rd INT, but dunno if I did after that or not.

As far as this season is concerned, that last remark goes for both of us, lol.

You could find someone to explain the “coin toss” rule that would use a page to do the job but you got it right the first time.

The new “force out” rule is kind of interesting. It seems to me that the new rule could cause a receiver to not want to go up to catch a pass near the sideline when he could be nailed by a DB. He would be putting himself in a position for injury while not getting anything out of it even though he made the catch.

I read where The Palms in Vegas has already posted a betting line for the first regular season games this year. They have the Steelers favored by 6 1/2 over the Texans (for entertainment only). A road game for us……sounds like somebody is taking notice of our team.

Coach,

That game could be interesting. It’s in Pittsburgh, but it won’t be that cold in Sept. by then. Remember the Steelers have Willie Parker and Mendenhall to carry the load now and Ben has a tall WR that he requested. However, for that game, we can’t get into a shooting match with the Steelers. We need run the ball to eat up the clock and just keep it simple and move the chains for a fresh set of downs. If our defense can keep Ben off-balance, we could have a good shot at an early upset. Ben is just like Peyton and Brady. You rush them and make them get of out of sync and they begin to collapse, and the team isn’t that far behind from falling apart and getting out of rhythm. It’s that simple. Parker is good, but he’s coming off that injury, so who knows what to expect from him. I’ll have to wait until we get closer to the season before I decide if that’s a smart wager or not (for entertainment purposes only, of course)! -TH

It comes down to the D line! Who will be oppsite Mario?? Weaver ? Bulman? with no front end rush or pressure the AFC South will torch! I mean Torch us.

With the Defenses and Defensive head coaches in the South if they get up by 10 and we can’t play the run or pass(see richard smith last year stats)

SEE YA. Man I hope we do not have to watch this replay again..

BB,

As of now, it’ll either be Weaver or Cochran lining up opposite side of Williams. I would prefer Weaver. I hear he’s really looking good this off-season. We’ll see. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Without a dominant pass-rusher, it’s going to be hard to stop the QB’s in our division. You would think that would have been a top priority the last few years for our team. Maybe I am just crazy and have no idea what the hell is going on. Every team in our division has a dominant pass-rusher. I guess Mario is going to have to play that role and get those sack totals and pressure stats for there to be any kind of pressure on the opponent’s QB and backfield. -TH

I was just wondering. What was Anthony Weaver’s exact role in Baltimore? Was he a pass rusher or more of an interior lineman? Did he switch around on the line or play linebacker? I just wanted to know because he apparently had much success in Baltimore but not here in Houston. Maybe if they return him to what he used to do he will return to being somewhat dominant again. I’ll wait for your response. Thanks

utguy,

Weaver was a DE in Baltimore, but from the look at his career stats, he wasn’t much of a pass rusher with Baltimore with all of the Pro Bowlers like Ed reed and Ray Lewis on the team. Here’s a link to his career stats with Baltimore and Houston:

TH, It would be nice to wind up in the playoffs for the 1st time, but that is not my most pressing concern regarding the Texans this season. I want to see the greatest improvement take place in the realm of respectability. Among the fans as well as the media. This will only come through winning & the NFL highlight reels. I also see where the pressure lies this year for the Texans organization. Kubiak & Smith have to show us. Gibbs, Shananhan, Rhodes must give us hope. The players have to convince us that they are the right fit for this team. Duane Brown must have an immediate impact as a rookie due to the importance of his position protecting Matt Schaub, but it is Jacques Reeves that is under the microscope. Spent a bunch of $$ on a player that Dallas describes as another Petey Faggins. I hope they are wrong.

Kreno,

I’m agree. Like most fans, I would love to see them get to the playoffs this year, but I personally don’t think they are quite ready to compete in the playoffs yet. Trust me, I am not being negative. I would first like to see them improve the running game and the pass-rush and the shut down corners in the secondary. If they can improve in just one or a few of these areas this year, I will be extremely happy. Good to hear from you, Kreno. Where have you been? -TH

Cochran now in his 3rd year with the Texans should be our new starting DE across from Mario. He has size and speed and with an ability to be a disruptive force, especially playing next to Amobi and Okam and across from Mario. I think he can really be essential in us taking that next step, he can be what peek and babin were supposed to be for us

Good to see the back and forth banter without the venom of the other blogs. I do believe Kubiak will be a better coach in year three and hopefully get the Texans a couple of more wins with better game management.

Other Jerry,

It’s also great to see you back on here. I was beginning to wonder what had happened to everyone. You’ve been a long time reader and know I wouldn’t allow insults and name calling on here. I would hope most of my readers are older than 12. Thanks for dropping a line. Don’t be such a stranger. -TH

I read coach 24 and your comments on the upcoming steeler game on opening day. I am from the pittsburgh area and I get coverage all day about the steelers. From what I am seeing and hearing about the steelers, they may be lucky to win 6 games this year. Of course, their schedule is overwhelming, but that is not what will keep them down. They lost Faneca and will replace him with a shorter and heavier guard who is not as athletic as him. In addition, their starting left tackle was a restricted (possibly) free agent that got exactly ZERO offers on the open market. With the entire left side of their O-line in complete regression and with Mario Williams, I believe, pass rushing on that side will make for a very long and painful day for rothleisberger. Believe me, he is very strong, but he can’t move very well and Williams should have a very good day with multiple sacks. Also, their defense is aging and slowing with a semi lack of depth. If the texans can execute the zone blocking scheme the way Gibbs intends, they should come away with a win there.

Guys, I heard Kubiak explain the coin toss rules last year. If you won the toss, you basically HAD to choose to receive. You could not defer to the second half, and if you chose to kick, the other team would receive in the first half, and then could choose to receive in the second half!! In other words, if you chose to kick, the other team got to receive BOTH halves.

TH, In answer to your query about where have I been, I have been right here all along. I just haven’t posted in a while because between your being sick or taking finals, I thought you had died. I was just waiting to hear from you again. Glad you’re OK.

I was listening to the radio the other day and someone called in complaining about not drafting mendenhall and instead picking brown. Now my only problem with that is that I wouldn’t want mendenhall to become domanick williams aka no knees after 4 seasons. In your personal opinion would you have taken mendenhall and hoped that salaam and someone else manned the blind side or do you agree with the Texans pick?

utguy,

Since I always try and be perfectly sincere and honest with my readers, yes, I would have taken Mendenhall in a New York-minute. However, obviously hindsight is 20/20. Now that we”re hearing about possible injury-prone-Mendenhall, maybe that would have been a bad idea loooking back. All I can do is support who they took in Slaton and hope that his speed and abilities will help mold him into a franchise back for us for more than a few seasons. It could be considered the same situation with Reggie Bush. Everyone laughed when we didn’t take him (although I would have), but now maybe Mario was the better pick. Again though, it’s hard to say because so many players develop at different stages than others. Bush could be a monster in a few years and Williams could falter. There’s just no way of knowing right now. It’s still too early in all of their careers. Great question, brotha! Good stuff. -TH

don’t post my comments unless you agree. I’m tired of the press representing them (Texans) as a bunch of bumbling idiots. I would like to hear why the Texans are better, why they will win. If you are an idiot you will give them no chance, as per the press, step up and be different. I still think you know what is right, be a fan and a writer.

1Texan,

You can always count on me to be a true fan. The Texans absolutely have a chance at the AFC South Title. What team is 50% better than us? None. Sure, the Colts and Jags may be loaded with talent, but any team can beat any team any given day and all we need is that day where we are better than them. First off, the Jags don’t scare me. Jones-Drew is a good runningback, but all he needs is to be hit by a defensive end or safety a couple of times and he’ll think twice before running up through the middle. Plus, I am not so confident in QB David Garrard being the leader this year.

I love the guy’s heart, but physically it won’t take much to take him out physically and off-rhythm. The Titans, I won’t comment until their QB improves (even though I like Young – so it’s nothing personal). The Colts are our only obstacle. They lost a lot of key players this year and Harrison just will never be the same again – that I promise you! Plus with rumors of Dungy calling it quits after this season, that does play a small mental part on the players who love him and believe in his coaching philosophy.

Why can’t we win the AFC South? It may be a biased guess, but I watch a lot of tape and have a pretty fair perspective on teams. I am a total Texans fan, but I can call it like I see it. If you have read my blog for a while, I am not scared to rip into the team or coaches when it is warranted. Hell, I am not on the Chronicle’s, Texans or NFL’s payroll. I’m always going to call it like I see it. Sometimes our team/personnel need to be ripped a “new one” and I will be the first to lead the charge on that. However when our team actually is now loaded with talent, I will also be the first one to say that no team is a for-sure thing in the AFC South any longer. Even my bros at ESPN and the SportingNews say that Texans are on the cusp of making the playoffs for many years to come. You can take that to the bank! I am not guaranteeing the playoffs for the Texans this year, but how many have eggs on their faces about Mario Williams now? Remember how every media hot-shot made fun of us for not taking Bush or Young. Now they (including ESPN and Scouts, inc) are projecting Mario Williams to be the NFL sack leader in 2008. Yeah, that sounds like a retraction to me. Stick that up your A-holes ESPN and all the other media sources, including the local ones in Houston, who never had faith in the Texans until they started winning. Some of us fans have been here and believing since 2002. TH

I’m most worried about the Colts. One of the comments I read said that they are declining somewhat. Where did he come up with that? If anything, they’re getting better. Last year, they probably would have repeated as superbowl champs if not for the injuries. Last year, with Harrison and Gonzales injured, were two touchdowns ahead of the Patriots with 8 minutes to go. Imagine if they had their full arsenal of receivers. Now, they’ve got Dom Rhodes back and Gonzales is no longer a rookie. Harrison, Freeney, and Sanders are all back healthy again too. There’s no doubt that the AFC South is the best division, and the Colts are clearly at the pinnacle. I hope we can somehow manage to snag a game from them. It would be a tremendous boost for our confidence and could have an effect on the other games played.